Ministry by Jerry Ousley

I needed a job badly. I looked and looked and finally what seemed to be an opportunity came open. A local new and used car lot needed a salesperson. I applied and wonder of wonders, got the job. I was excited even though I was far from an expert on cars. The first day was a little challenging. I was told that they didn't want any of the salesmen interacting with each other but instead, if I wasn't showing a vehicle to a customer I was to have the phone to my ear calling friends, family and aquatints letting them know that I was in the business.

We were working ten hour days and being the newbie and not knowing the first thing about selling an automobile I ran out of people to call after about two hours. Now what? I had to look busy so I grabbed the phone book and just began calling anyone who had a listed number. However, that wasn't going over too well because it seemed I was making more enemies than friends.

Finally a couple came in and walked right up to me. Wow, my first opportunity to make a sale. The company also had a policy that the sales rep was to ride with the customers if they wanted to try a vehicle out. They had their eye on a new sports car. Now I began to salivate because the commission on this baby would be very sweet indeed. We got the dealer tags on the vehicle and I climbed in the backseat. We drove from the lot and I did my best to answer the questions the couple had.

However, once we had driven out of site of the car lot the young husband spoke to his wife and said, "Let's see what this thing can do!" To which she responded "Alright!" That wasn't what I was looking for. Most wives cautioned their husbands to take it easy. Not her. They punched it to the floor and nearly pinned me to the back of the seat. I wanted to make a sale and didn't want to insult them so I kept quiet against my better judgment. Finally we got back to the lot and after I gathered my composure I asked in an unsteady voice, "So you want us to get the paper work started for you?" To which he replied, "Naw, I just wanted to see what it felt like to drive something like that," and they hopped back into their own vehicle and drove away!

After only one more day I decided very quickly that this wasn't what I was cut out to be. The point to this story is that we are all designed for a mission in life. God has put into each one of us the raw materials for what He would like to accomplish with our lives. Once we get saved then our Lord begins to hone those qualities and train us. We can know fairly simply what the Lord wants us to do because it will normally become a burning desire within us.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11-12, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Now I know that most of the offices listed in these verses seem to have something to do with being a preacher. However there are more lists given in the New Testament that include other things as well. What Paul was saying is that to minster to the Lord doesn't always mean that we have to get a sermon ready each Sunday, or have a gifted voice to sing the praises of the King, or be a Bible Scholar who teaches wonderful truths. The fact is that what is in our hearts to do is most likely what God wants us to do. As I mentioned before God placed these raw talents in us from the moment of our creation. He has a plan in mind for each of us. Once we come to Him those gifts begin to be refined. Sometimes we may wonder why. The fact is that the Lord probably wants to use you in this area. With your special and unique talents and gifts you can witness to a group of people that no one else can. You can present the Gospel in a way that is unique and believe you me there are those who will identify with you and your witness. That's how we know what our ministry is. We don't have to try to be something we're not (like me trying to be a car salesman) but we can be just what the Lord wants.